NEWS RELEASE
NORTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR A HOCKEY LEAGUE
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HEARST - A pair of Benjamin Pouliot third-period goals, including the eventual game-winner, propelled the Soo Eagles to a 5-3 triumph over the Hearst Lumberjacks Friday evening in a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League encounter at Claude Larose Recreation Centre.
Plenty of tempo in the opening period saw the night’s first goal come late in the session off a Hearst turnover in their own zone that allowed the Eagles’ Zach Sweitzer to snag it, wheel into the slot, and zip a shot past Lumberjacks’ netminder Alexandre Boivin at 19:20.
In the middle stanza, the home side drew level off some nice puck movement that saw Tyler Patterson fire a crisp feed through the top of the crease that was neatly steered in by Mathieu Comeau, in eluding Sault Ste. Marie (Mich.) starter Mason Burkes.
Retaking the lead on a power play deep into the second saw Drew Dellies pounce on a loose puck and snap it past a sprawled Boivin at 17:31.
Tying it once again, Hearst clicked in the opening minute of the third when Adam Shillinglaw led a rush into the Soo end and worked it to Henry Ouellet who wired in the equalizer from the right circle past the blocker of Burkes.
Going ahead once more, Pouliot spun and fired a low shot that got under the pad of Boivin and slid in at 5:01.
Taking a two-goal lead while up a skater, Pouliot notched his second of the frame as he drove around the back of the net and wired one upstairs from an extremely sharp angle with 6:55 to play.
Pulling closer on a two-man advantage, as well as having their goalkeeper on the bench for an extra attacker, Patterson punched in a puck laying in behind Burkes.
With multiple skaters and their goalie out once again, Hearst pushed hard to knot the affair once more.
However, in the final minute, Eagles’ captain Lucas Caulfield pushed a play ahead off a face-off in the neutral zone and worked it ahead where he wrapped up the scoring and completed the road victory with an empty netter.
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